Validated Tools for Assessing Anxiety and Depression in Nurses: A Systematic Review

Gabriel Reyes Rodríguez (), Leticia Cuellar-Pompa (), Natalia Rodríguez Novo, Miguel López Martínez and José Ángel Rodríguez Gómez
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Gabriel Reyes Rodríguez: Nursing Department, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Leticia Cuellar-Pompa: Instituto de Investigación en Cuidados del Colegio Oficialde Enfermería de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Natalia Rodríguez Novo: Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universdad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Spain
Miguel López Martínez: Emergency Department, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
José Ángel Rodríguez Gómez: Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Science, University of La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Spain

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: Background: Nurses experience substantial anxiety and depression; robust, validated instruments are needed. We aimed to identify tools used to assess these conditions in nurses. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in December 2024 and registered in OSF and PROSPERO. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for quantitative studies (2014–2024) in English/Spanish that included nurses only and used standardized measures. Two reviewers screened and extracted the data; quality was appraised with JBI checklists, narrative synthesis only. Results: Twenty-two studies (n = 10,710 nurses) met the criteria. Most were cross-sectional with non-probability sampling; the overall risk of bias was moderate in 19 studies and high in 3. The most frequently used instruments were PHQ-9, GAD-7, GHQ-28, and BDI; across versions, PHQ (PHQ-2/PHQ-9) predominated. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Discussion: The available tools support routine screening in nursing populations, but reliance on self-reports and scarce formal cross-cultural validation in practicing nurses limit inference and generalizability. Conclusions: Screening programs in nursing should pair brief self-report instruments with objective indicators and standardized protocols; future studies should prioritize contextualized validation and robust longitudinal designs.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; nurses; mental health; assessment instruments; screening tools; health personnel; nursing; quality of life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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